Feed chopper



A ril 10, 1951 B. FREEMAN 2,543,564

FEED CHOPPER Filed July 13, 1949 2. Sheets -Sheet 1 Fig.2 .Ez'g. J,

W y 3953 B. F. FREEMAN 2548,664

FEED CHOPPER Filed July 15, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEED CHOPPER Ben F. Freeman, Schuyler, Nebr.

Application July 13, 1949, Serial No. 104,527

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the chopping of alfalfa preparatory to the drying thereof and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a crusher for alfalfa.

It is well known that green alfalfa dries very slowly and accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide means whereby alfalfa can be crushed to smaller sizes whereby it will dry more rapidly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a crusher as described having an auxiliary rotor or drum disposed in an upward position and mounted in a manner whereby rotation of the drum will cause alfalfa to be forced downwardly between the rotating arms and the bang-board, particularly for use at times when alfalfa is being fed into the crusher at an unusually great rate of speed.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a crusher having an open bottom and a bangboard which is further provided with housing portions so arranged as to prevent large and undesirable quantities of alfalfa from following the rotating arms after the latter have passed by the exit opening in the bottom of the crusher.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose described which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize.

Other and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a frontal elevation of the crusher shown without motor or other driving means attached, certain portions thereof being broken away and other portions showing in section.

Figure 2 is a detailed frontal elevation of the outside of the bang-board section of the crusher shown separately from the machine with its adjusting eye-bolts in downward hanging positions of non-use.

Figure 3 is a detailed side elevation of the bang-board of Figure 2, a portion thereof being broken away and a portion showing in section, the adjusting eye-bolts being shown in a horizontal use position.

Figure'4 is a left-end elevation of the crusher shown in Figure 1 with a portion of the side wall thereof removed together with other portions of the booster rotor or booster drum, the bangboard, and the bang-board apron.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the apron of the crusher.

Figure 6 is a frontal elevation of the apron of Figure 5.

The alfalfa chopping machine of this invention is formed with a housing which includes a 2 frame comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel frame members l0 formed of angle-iron. Between the members l0 transverse members l2 are mounted.

Horizontal frame members l4 extend from the members l2 inwardly therefrom to two spaced apart transverse end housing members 16. Between the two elongated frame members or struts lo the two transverse upright end housing members l6 are secured. Upon the horizontal platforms l4 bearings 20 are mounted by means of bolts 22; and a rotor shaft 24 is disposed through the bearings 20.

The shaft 24 is provided with a key-way 26 at one end thereof to which power driving means, not shown, can be secured.

The purpose of the shaft 24 is to carry a rotor 30 which latter is provided with chopping arms 32 which are adapted to extend outwardly therefrom as a result of centrifugal force in a manner well known in the art. The housing members I6 form lower parts of end housing walls for the rotor 30. The upper portions 38 of the end walls are secured to the lower portions l6 by means of overlapping members 40, by means of angle brackets 44 secured to the upper housing members 38, and by means of bolts 46 disposed securing the brackets 44 to the platforms M.

The machine has end housing members or guide plates, one of which is shown at 50 in Figure 4. The member 50 extends around one side of the rotor 30 and is provided with an arcuate portion 52 which latter is closely spaced from the rotor 30 for reducing the tendency of alfalfa to travel upwardly with the rotor while the latter is rotating in the direction of the arrow 60.

The lower end of the portion 52 is disposed spaced apart from the lower end of a bang-board member or arcuate plate ID to be later described. The lower end of the portion 52 extends away from the rotor 30 sharply as shown in Figure 4 for permitting alfalfa to fly tangentially from the rotor.

The band-boardportion 10 forms a lower section of a side wall for the opposite side of the rotor 30. The bang-board portion 10 is provided with a concave surface 12 disposed in use closely spaced apart from the rotor 30. The bangboard member 10 is further provided with a plurality of inwardly extending ridges or ribs 14 which latter are disposed in parallelism with the axle or shaft 24.

The bang-board 10 is provided at its ends with two parallel plates or flanges 16 which latter are provided with slots 18 therein for receiving bolts and for adjustably securing the plates 16 to the end walls It.

Ears are secured to the outer sides of the bang-board T0 and are attached by means of elongated bolts 92 to upstanding brackets 94. The

latter are themselves secured to the corresponding frame member I0.

It will be seen that the ears 30 are preferably arranged in pairs, two pairs being disposed adjacent the top portion of the bang-board and at the outer sides thereof, one pair being disposed in the middle of the bottom of the bang-board. The bolt 92 for the bottom pair of ears extends through the frame member III as best seen in Figure 1.

The upper end of the bang-board provided with an overlapping bar I which latter extends around the outer side of a skirt portion I I0. The latter forms an upper portion of the right-end wall of the machine as seen in Figure 4.

The skirt I I0 is pivotally secured to the end members 38 by means of a rod i I2 and is adapted to swing freely at its lower end about the horizontal rod II2. The skirt portion H0 is provided with parallel outwardly extending plate I portions H6 at its ends. The latterare adjustably secured to the members 38 by means of bolts I in slots|22 in the plates and slots I23 in the side housing members 38.

At the upper end of the skirt portion H0 a guide plate or booster drum housing I39 is provided, the latter being of the shape of a portion of a circle and extending around a booster drum or booster rotor I32.

The rotor I32 is of cylindrical shape and has ridges I34 extending outwardly therefrom in parallelism with its axis I38.

The booster I32 is disposed at least partially above the rotor and above the entrance to the bang-board and rotor section of the machine The drum housing I30 and the opposite end housing member 50 are spaced apart considerably for providing an entrance to the machine for alfalfa or feed which is to be chopped.

In operation, it will be seen that alfalfa passing downwardly between the end housing members or guide plates 50 and I30 will be chopped by the arms 32 as it passes the bang-board IS. The alfalfa will then be thrown by centrifugal force outwardly of the opening between the member 32 and the bang-board I0.

' The drum I32 is adapted to be rotated in the direction of the arrow I63 by any suitable means secured to the outer end of its shaft I38, which latter is mounted on the end housing members 38 by means of bearings I50 and brackets I52,

Such rotation will serve to throw and push alfalfa downwardly into the space between the rotor and the bang-board 10.

This invention has provided a more efficient feed chopping machine which employs an upwardly disposed entrance and a downwardly disposed exit, the latter being arranged for taking full advantage of the centrifugal force of the rotor in throwing alfalfa outwardly. This invention has further provided a crusher, the action of which is adjustable through the provision of a movable bang-board wall.

From the foregoing description it is thoughtto be obvious that a feed chopper constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my in- 4 vention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown'in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

In a feed chopper, the combination which comprises a housing having spaced vertically disposed end plates, bearing platforms extended beyond the said end plates, a rotor shaft extended through the housing and journaled on the said bearing platforms, a cylindrical rotor mounted on the said shaft and having spaced radially disposed longitudinally positioned chopping arms extended from the outer surface, an arcuate plate having flanged ends positioned between the said end plates, means adjustably mounting the said arcuate plate 'on the end plates through the flanges on the ends thereof with the inner sur-'- face of the arcuate plate spaced from the peripheral surface of the rotor and positioned to coact with the said chopping arms of the rotor for chopping products passing between the rotor and plate, spaced longitudinally disposed ribs on the inner surface of the said arcuate' plate and also positioned to coact with the chopping arms of the rotor, horizontally disposed bolts extended from intermediate parts of the said arcuate plate, longitudinally disposed supporting struts extended across the sides of the housing and attaehed to the said end plates thereof, means adjustably attaching the said horizontally disposed bolts to one of the said struts for reinforcing the intermediate part of the said arcuate plate, a drum having spaced longitudinally disposed ridges on the surface journaledin the said end plates and positioned above the upper edge of the said arcuate plate for feeding products to a throat between the cylindrical rotor and armate plate, guide plates connecting the upper edges of the said end plates, and a skirt positioned between the upper edge of the 'arcuate plate and drum and pivotally mounted in the said end plates for urging products passing through the said throat toward the said cylindrical rotor.

BEN F. FREEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 382,192 Rinmon et a1. May 1, 1888 661,969 Fuhr Nov. 20, 1900 759,391 1 McGrane May 10, 1904 850,008 Hutcheson Apr. 9, 1907 892,529 Landis July 7, 1908 1,092,801 Roberts Apr. 7, 1914 1,138,835 Bergren May 11, 1915 2,312,612 Wetmore Mar. 2, 1943 2,402,007 Anderson June 11, 1946 2,502,032 Watson Mar. 28', 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 235,742 Great Britain June 25, 1925 

